Bee Free Boutique

Walking into Angie Freeman's Bee Free Boutique in Silverlake feels like walking into a sun-drenched patch of grass after it rained all day. Well equipped with gum balls, red wine, and Suzy, the store's fluffy little guard dog, Freeman helps you feel like clothes are fun again. "Customer service is the most important thing," Freeman says. "There's no "right" size, there's no "right" body typeladies want to talk about what's right for them." Freeman's also the buyer of the store, and her selection feels curated more than just bought on a whim. From breezy shorts to a halter top that makes you reconsider giving up on halter tops, the store feels like it has a lot of must-haves.

Judging from the selection of clothing, handbags and accessories, it's hard to believe this is Freeman's first boutique. "I sort of jumped in the deep end and have been feeling my way through," she says. But an unexpected perk of the job is the stories her customers tell her. "They'll come in looking for a sundress and end up telling me their life story. It's funny how fashion's that way." Freeman says at the end of the day, that's what makes it worth it. "Even if I didn't make a dime, I'm happy."